Review of the package travel directive | A faltering and disconnected report

• HATTA (Association of Tourist & Travel Agencies in Greece) is a member of ECTAA and, as its representative in Greece, is issuing the following Press Release.
• ECTAA is challenging the European Parliament’s draft report on the Package Travel Directive. While the Council adopted a well-balanced position in December 2024, the pan-European Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (ECTAA) strongly opposes the European Parliament’s draft report published on 26 February, arguing that it does not address the concerns of the industry and could destabilize it.

Brussels, 27 February 2025. ECTAA has expressed its surprise at the draft report by MEP Agius Saliba on the revision of the Package Travel Directive. The report, described as “faltering and disconnected” from the reality of the sector, ignores the serious concerns raised by market players on key aspects of the original proposal. Instead of improving consumer protection and ensuring the stability of the sector, it represents a missed opportunity for meaningful and balanced reform.

ECTAA has made no secret of its concerns about the lack of in-depth dialogue with stakeholders. The consultations were limited to a simple formality, with formal hearings providing for just five minutes per speaker – hardly enough time to discuss such crucial issues. "We participated in good faith, hoping to contribute to constructive reform." Unfortunately, our concerns were completely ignored," regrets Eric Drésin, Secretary General of ECTAA.

Legal uncertainty and unworkable definitions

The draft report exacerbates the issue of the definition of a package by broadening it to include two sales made on the same website within 72 hours. This approach creates significant uncertainty, as traders will not be able to determine, for a travel service purchased, whether it is a stand-alone service or part of a package until after the 72-hour period has elapsed.

Consumers, in turn, will remain uncertain about their rights and protections at the time of purchase. This lack of clarity will disrupt business activities throughout the travel value chain, affecting both package tour operators and stand-alone service providers, and ultimately threatening the established business models.

Prepayment restrictions: a risk to organisers’ liquidity

Restricting prepayments in package tours adds another burden to organisers, who are already protecting customers’ money against possible insolvency. Contrary to expectations, restricting prepayments will not reduce insolvency risks, but will weaken organisers financially, especially in the first half of the year.

The exemptions from the proposed 25% prepayment ceiling are insufficient to mitigate liquidity challenges, as they do not take into account fixed costs such as salaries and building or energy costs. “If the aim is really to protect consumers, why not ensure that prepayments are protected across all travel services, instead of singling out organisers of package tours?” asks Eric Drésin.

A call for a balanced and practical reform

The Package Travel Directive represents less than 15% of travel services sold on the EU market, a sharp drop from 40% in 2013, before the first revision of the Directive. It is wrong to believe that the European Commission and MEP Saliba are supporting a disproportionate legislation that seeks to protect against the worst-case scenario.

Instead of imposing additional restrictions on package tour operators, a more effective approach would be to improve the protection of the 85% of EU consumers who use stand-alone services and do not benefit from similar standards. By adopting such an approach, fewer and fewer travellers will use packages, and the protection of the latter will become increasingly expensive for going on holiday.

ECTAA is calling for a fundamental review of the report, which takes into account economic realities and the views of tourism industry stakeholders. The revision of the Package Travel Directive must strike the right balance – offering a high level of protection to consumers while keeping the market attractive and functional.

• About ECTAA
  ECTAA represents the interests of 80,000 travel agents and package tour operators in Europe, who provide consultancy services and sell transport, accommodation, leisure and other tourism services, as well as combined products, to leisure and professional customers.

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